CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
FOUNDERS SECRETS

Professor ConDoin stared Godric off the stage, and turned to the other two Professors, "Professor Hovarsk, you first I think, Professor Girnoir if you'll step aside," Professor ConDoin gestured off to the side, Professor Girnoir walked off the side of the stage taking the Emerindyl sword with her, "At last, I've been waiting to see an actual swording since my first year," Mezentius spoke shifting onto the edge of his seat, Harry thought this was quite out of place for Mezentius, but was too eager to see duel to bother thinking on it. "Professor ConDoin, this really is a very silly thing to do, we are of course only sorting a student," to everyone's surprise, these words came from Professor Hovarsk, "Coward," Brydie hissed as she stared up at her head teacher, not believing what her ears just heard, "Perhaps you would like to forfeit, Professor Hovarsk?" Harry could see Professor ConDoin was grinning, "Well um. that. that might be a good idea." Professor Hovarsk stuttered, Harry could see the alarm on Godric's face, Brydie must have seen it also as she leapt to her feet, "As a Saphricorn I would like to nominate a new champion for my house," The grin disappeared from Professor ConDoin's face immediately, "And whom would be so lucky as to receive your support, Miss Morris?" "Professor Ngera," Brydie said and immediately the pretty silver-white haired professor turned and looked at her, "Well Professor Ngera?" Professor ConDoin asked with the air of someone just wanting to get something over and done with, Professor Ngera appeared to be scanning Brydie, a smile crossed her face but disappeared before she turned back and faced Professor ConDoin, "I accept," she spoke with a voice reminiscent to an elven-witch from a Tolkien novel, "Fine, you off," Professor ConDoin pointed with the Ruberagon sword from Professor Hovarsk to the ground floor, he then whispered something that Harry didn't hear. Whatever it was, it made Professor Hovarsk close his eyes and shiver slightly, before walking off the stage handing the Saphricorn sword to Professor Ngera on the way. Professor Ngera approached the stage with her sweeping over-cloak still on, and not looking as if she was about to remove it, Professor ConDoin began the count down, "Three." he said as he dramatically threw his over cloak off, "Two." he said as a field of energy sprung up around the stage shimmered slightly and then went invisible, "One." "Iubar Accendo!" Arutha chanted in a loud and thundering voice, as he raised the Ruberagon sword, and in a flash of brilliant red, a ball of energy flew up the blade and shot at Professor Ngera, whom obviously wasn't expecting it as she got hit with the full force, right in the stomach and went soaring back into the energy field behind her, which shimmered as she landed on it and fell to the ground, "CHEAP!" Brydie went flying out of her seat, standing she started screaming at Professor ConDoin, Harry was about to pull her back into her seat when he noticed she wasn't the only one on their feet, it seemed many others shared her anger towards Professor ConDoin, after his launched assault on Professor Ngera, there was at least half the school now standing while the Ruberagons all sat with vicious grins on their faces. Some of the teachers ran towards Professor Ngera's end of the stage. Harry heard one of them pleading with her to forfeit, but saw her face turn, her hair very messy now, but still her beautiful pale face was targeting Professor ConDoin as she said in a very clear and calm voice, "Flabra!" There was no sign of energy flashing, but the field around the stage started shimmering as if it were being beaten by a million spells. Professor Ngera rose off the ground in a swift movement and this time Professor ConDoin was lifted off the ground and sent soaring backward. Seemingly expecting this, Professor ConDoin spun his body around, pushing out his feet and an arm he stopped himself from slamming into the wall, he turned his head back to Professor Ngera with a grin, his long black hair soaring behind him, and his purple Amethyst amulet hanging down from his neck, untouched by whatever spell Professor Ngera was performing, "You'll have to try better then that Dawn," he spoke, in a voice, Harry thought was supposed to sound intimidating but just came off as big- headedness, "What's he doing?" Hyperion asked Mezentius, but got no answer, Harry looked at Mezentius, his eyes were open wide and he was staring at Professor ConDoin, as if willing him to fail, "I think Mezentius wants Professor ConDoin to lose as well," Harry said to Brydie, she was however wrapped in the fight and did not look at him, merely replying with a quick, "Who doesn't?" Whatever Professor Ngera was doing, it must have been elevating; Harry could see the strain in Professor ConDoin's eyes. Godric however was still standing calmly watching the fight, not vexed about the battle at all.
It must have taken quite a bit of strength, but at last Professor ConDoin drew out the Ruberagon sword, pulled his arm back and threw it. Against whatever force Professor Ngera was sending out, the sword was fighting, evident by the red-glimmer around it, Harry thought it must have been countering the spell Professor Ngera was using. It soared swiftly through the air connected with Professor Ngera's hair and dragged her backwards were it became imbedded in the wall. Professor Ngera pulled her head away and the strands of her silky silver hair fell from the swords blade onto the ground.
There was a moment when Harry had no idea what was going on. Professor Ngera looked at her hairs, to the blade, and then to Professor ConDoin, then drew out the Saphricorn sword and plunged it into the stage floor. She then turned, gathered up her hairs and walked from the stage exiting through the Professor's entrance behind the stage.
Professor ConDoin walked slowly across the stage and retrieved the sword from where it was positioned. Professor Girnoir stepped onto the stage on the other side, and just when Harry thought they were about to have a second duel, Professor ConDoin took the Ruberagon sword and pushed it back into the ruby boulder, "You have him," Professor ConDoin spat at Professor Girnoir, and then looked directly at Godric, "Ruberagon has no use for the boy," Harry stared in disbelief, he couldn't believe what he had just seen, Professor ConDoin had just fought one Professor, and fiercely, only to bow in on the second duel. Harry thought this was a very peculiar thing for Professor ConDoin to do, but by the furious look on Brydie's face, Harry knew she'd be able to explain it to him afterwards,
* The favourite subject for gossip over the next few days was Godric having drawn three swords, and Ameraid not having been one of them, "I think its weird," Brydie was saying as she, Hyperion, Mezentius and Harry were walking from one incredible Transfiguration class in which Professor McGonagall had accidentally been turned into a dining table by one of the Ameraid's whom hadn't aimed their wand correctly, the class had been left with quiet study while the school nurse was called in to try and undo the spell, not having much luck, when the class had ended, after much talk on the subject of Godric Grindylow, Professor McGonagall was still brown and had wooden legs, "But tonnes of people have pulled out the Ruberagon sword and another, even more have pulled out the Saphricorn and Emerindyl sword, why is I all so hard to believe?" Mezentius protested as they approached the doorway to their next class, History of Magic, "Well I was always under the impression that Emerindyl, Saphricorn, and Ameraid were the three good houses, and that if a student ever drew three swords, that they would be those three," Hyperion replied to his friends, Harry whom had been listening quietly the whole time was struck with a thought, "I wonder if there's ever been a student to draw all four swords?" "Good question Mr Potter - perhaps that will be the subject of today's class," Professor Lumos' bright face met them at the classroom door.

"Has there ever been a Koalingo student whom drew all four sorting swords?" Professor Lumos announced the topic for today's class when everyone had finally entered and taken a seat, "The answer of course, is no - and the reason lies within the mystery of the Ameraid," Harry's eyes drifted across a group of Ameraid's sitting together, he had never noticed it before, whereas all the other houses seemed to mingle with one another, the Ameraid's, with the acceptance of Mezentius, were all in one group, in one area in the classroom, "Raise your hand if you removed the Ameraid sword from its stone during your sorting?" Professor Lumos spoke and after a few moments every Ameraid in the class had their hands in the air, no one from any other house did, "Good," Professor Lumos smiled, "Now keep your hand in the air, if any one of you, whom drew the Ameraid sword, also drew another sword upon your sorting?" To the entire classes utter shock, every hand was withdrawn, "You see class, Amberly Ameraid appears to be the only founder of all four to have given strict guidelines as to who could be in her house, not one student in all of Koalingo's history, has ever drawn the Ameraid sword accompanied by another," Professor Lumos told them, and a few bemused faces appeared around the crowded classroom, "Or perhaps she tweaked her sword to only allow people into Ameraid that aren't good enough for the other houses," Malvado piped up and all the Ruberagons roared with laughter, "Perhaps." Professor Lupin said twirling his finger around his goatee, "I suppose its possible, Amberly Ameraid was always said to be a very kind and caring woman - I suppose." Harry glanced around to see Mezentius looking murderous, There was a sudden knock on the door and in walked Professor ConDoin, "Ah, Headmaster, what brings you to History of Magic on this fine day?" Professor Lumos spoke, his face lighting up, "Don't be silly Lumos, I've not seen such horrible weather since I began here at Koalingo," Professor ConDoin quickly snapped back, his eyes searching the classroom until they appeared to lock with Mezentius' "Fumbleknot, come with me, Lumos he wont be returning for the rest of the period," "Um... ok, but we were having a really important discussion." Professor Lumos started and seemed to give up as Professor ConDoin looked intently at Mezentius and walked straight out of the classroom, Mezentius at his heal, Brydie shot Harry a befuddled look, Harry shrugged it off and they returned their attention to Professor Lumos, "Well. let's continue shall we." Professor Lumos said as he returned to the blackboard and started writing, "Ok, so what have we learnt? Amberly Ameraid made her sword sort precisely enough to only be drawn by those who could not draw the other three house swords," he spoke as he scrawled it down on the blackboard, "What do we know about the founders, who has ever read anything on them?" "Well. we know a fair bit about Professor Emerindyl," Brydie spoke up, this seemed to reinstall hope in Lumos, that the class was paying attention to him for a large smile crossed his face and he wrote 'Lord Elwyn Emerindyl' on the black board, "Ok, class, what is it you know on him?" he asked as a few hands raised into the air, many of which were Ruberagons, much to Harry's surprise, "Ok. Malvado?" "Lord Elwyn Emerindyl is the sole survivor of the four school founders, and is over two-thousand years old, an immortal by a pact he made with the earth when the Ministry back in early times was going to kill off giants in Australia," he spoke and Harry listened absolutely mesmerised, he knew Professor Emerindyl was old even though it didn't show it in his face, but two-thousand years. Harry had no idea the man was immortal, the oldest man Harry thought he knew was Nicholas Flamel who was more then six-hundred years old, but now he was hearing that Elwyn was more then two millennium old. "The sole survivor?" Professor Lumos asked, his eyes narrowing, "Are you sure of this?" "Well yes, everyone knows that," Hyperion was the one to speak this time, "Amberly Ameraid lost her temper and exploded in Japan in 1945, Sylvia Saphricorn died in Africa, and Rubeus Ruberagon was murdered by is son," "Are you sure?" Professor Lumos said, a small smile appeared, "Something you will all need to know before you even think of becoming historians is this, do not believe a thing you are told until someone gives sufficient evidence, Lady Saphricorn disappeared in Africa, yes, you would be correct in saying she would still be dead now because she was not immortal while away from Lord Emerindyl, but it would be unfounded for you to believe that Lady Saphricorn perished in Africa according to stories you heard on the grape-vine. Very few people actually realise this, but Sylvia Saphricorn's body was never recovered," "Yes but." "Nor was the body of Lord Rubeus Ruberagon the first - Lord Emerindyl would tell you this himself if he were here to ask, after all, Sylvia was his wife, he lead many expeditions into Africa looking for her, but always came back empty handed - its been assumed for a long time that she was murdered by the very people she went to stop - but then there's no real evidence of this, its just an assumption," Professor Lupin went on, the class completely silent as they listened, "Rubeus Ruberagon's body has also been the reason for half the searches done through the manor, but never has it turned up," "Yes but its possible he was transfigured into a brick or something after he died," an Ameraid added, Professor Lupin nodded, "Yes, my child, yes it is, but then, lets not rule out the possibility of Rubeus still being alive," "Professor," Harry interrupted, quite out of place, but he had to ask this, "You said, half the searches of the manor. what were the other half on?" "Well Professor ConDoin would be the perfect person to ask this, he has done many searches on this castle, a lot more as of late in fact, as if in need to beat someone to whatever it is he's looking for, whatever it is its not been made common knowledge to anyone except perhaps Lord Emerindyl," Professor Lupin then lowered his voice so that Harry had to strain to hear him, "However. I have heard whispers that he is looking for Amberly Ameraid's greatest feat - half the staff he hired this year are qualified in treasure hunting, that's one of the reasons why I am here," he tapped his nose with his index finger and then turned back to the blackboard, "Apart from being a brilliant historian - ok, so lets recap,"

"Where did you go this time?" Brydie was asking Mezentius that night at dinner, "He wanted to talk to me about my temper," Mezentius said as he squashed a cherry tomato flat to his plate and then speared it with his fork, "He knew I was getting mad at Malvado," "You mean he can sense anger?" Brydie looked at him, "Well I'm buggered he pisses me off all the time, he must know I hate him." Harry smiled at this, not thinking Professor ConDoin would care anyway, and many of the students hated him, accepting the Ruberagons of course. "What did I miss anyway?" Mezentius said as he took a small bite from his cherry tomato and placed the rest of it onto his plate moving onto a small dinner roll, "Did you know ConDoin has led searches through the school for something, Professor Lumos, called Amberly Ameraid's greatest feat?" Brydie spoke Mezentius suddenly started choking and coughed the chewed-up roll back onto his plate; "You mean he hasn't got it already?" Mezentius said suddenly looking up at them, paying no notice to the drool that was messing up his mouth, "Got what?" Brydie, Hyperion, even Harry all flashed puzzled looks at Mezentius, "Oh honestly," he said as he pulled his backpack up onto the table and whipped out the notepad that he had been scribbling in quite a bit lately, he didn't let them see anything that was in there, until he found the page he was looking for, "This," he said pushing the page back down, "I know what that is," Hyperion started "Isn't that the necklace ConDoin wears?" Brydie guessed, Harry looked onto the page, and in fact it was, there was a rough drawing of a golden necklace with an amethyst jewel hanging from it, encased in a rather extravagant golden casing around the back of it, "This is the Amulet of Ameraid," Mezentius pointed out, "Given to her by her father it was her most precious item - Professor ConDoin stole it from her secret quarters when he uncovered them, but that was years ago," "Why would he still be searching the manor then?" Hyperion looked at Mezentius. "You mean there's something else here," Brydie followed in suit, Harry just sat there taking it all in at good measure,

The very next weekend was a visiting weekend for Koaltumut, although Harry, Hyperion, Brydie, and Mezentius had chosen to stay at the school, it was still very hot as summer was coming to an end, they had all decided to collapse under a tree in the garden. Mezentius of course was studying, while Hyperion had gathered a group of Saphricorn and Emerindyl fourth fifth and sixth years and started up a game of magical cricket, played with balls of energy that electrocuted the batsman if he hit the ball with the wrong part of the bat, or one of the fieldsman caught it with any part of their body other then their gloved hands. Harry had been electrocuted so many times when he tried batting that he had to be carried off the pitch with his hair slightly spikier then usual and a distinct fuzzy feeling about himself, to a haughty "The British were never built for cricket," from Hyperion as Harry was sat down by the tree Mezentius was working under and then went back to their game, "Having fun?" Mezentius said to him as he looked across at Harry from his work, Harry had barely heard him and just smiled and nodded, "A truly electrifying game isn't it!" Brydie laughed as she joined Harry, her fielding time over she was on a break, "Hyperion is up next, little twig, look at him run," she said excitedly as Hyperion belted the energy ball across the pitch where a Saphricorn tried catching it but ended up being hit in the stomach and knocked over, winded by the electricity. Hyperion was laughing as he proceeded to run back and forth along the pitch while the other fieldsman ran to get the ball, which had rolled a little way away from the winded Saphricorn, "This looks like a very violent game," a deep dark sounding voice announced the arrival of Professor Darkmoon, "I know," Brydie laughed as she turned to look at him and shut up immediately, her face loosing its smile immediately and looking alarmed, "Professor! We're allowed to play this," she started hurriedly, "We're not breaking any rules," "Fear not Miss Morris, I'm aware of this particular game," he said as he unbuttoned the travelling cloak he was wearing, "I'm sorry Professor, but are you going somewhere?" Mezentius asked, looking up from his books, "As a matter of fact, Mr Fumbleknot I have just returned," he said as he finished unbuttoning the front of his long ash-grey cloak and let the wind open it, "And do not be sorry young sir, there are many questions in this world, if I can answer any of them I would be more then happy to," There was a moment of awkward silence in which Professor Darkmoon and Mezentius merely stared at one anther and the Professor Darkmoon nodded and turned to Brydie and Harry, "Well I must be going, I'm afraid I might be late already, Professor ConDoin asked me to see him this evening after dinner and I'm afraid I left it a little late to prepare myself," he tilted his head slightly and glanced up at the Manor, "Well good afternoon young sirs, miss," he turned and walked off in the direction of the entrance courtyard, "Well that was weird." Brydie stood rooted to the spot, this was the first time Harry had seen Professor Darkmoon outdoors, and it was strange. he seemed. almost human. "You were talking to him, weren't you?" Harry looked at Mezentius, "Telepathically, weren't you?" Mezentius nodded, "Yes. he offered me help with my studies," Mezentius rolled his eyes, "Well wouldn't that be a good thing?" Harry asked Mezentius searching his face, "From a Professor suited to the Emerindyl house? I don't think so." Mezentius suddenly fell silent, "I mean. well not that there's anything wrong with Emerindyl's. its just. well. um." "Its two o'clock," Brydie said, interrupting whatever Mezentius was trying to say, "So?" Mezentius shook his head, obviously confused as to why she brought it up, "We've already had lunch - you should have known," "Der, you idiot," Brydie laughed at him, "Professor Darkmoon said he has to meet with ConDoin this evening right?" "So?" "Well he just said he has left it a little late to prepare for." Brydie went on, but sensed that Mezentius still hadn't caught on, "Your being blonde today, aren't you? Its two o'clock in the afternoon, dinner isn't served for at least four hours, and wont be over for another hour afterwards," "And." Brydie stared at Mezentius blankly, "You've been doing too much study, my boy." she rolled her eyes at him but Harry had caught on long ago, "He has five hours to prepare, what would he possibly need five hours to prepare for?" Mezentius seemed to have suddenly understood, closing his books, he obviously agreed with Brydie about doing too much studying, "Wait a minute, Professor Lupin told us in class the other day that some of the new staff had been hired because they could help with searching for whatever Professor ConDoin is trying to find," Harry started, "Its tonight, they are going to begin tonight," Mezentius concluded, and Brydie did a mock-dramatic slapping herself on her cheek with her mouth wide opened,

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Academic Anarchists

It had been a long and slow walk for the three before they reached Professor Lumos' office. Just as they had expected he was packing things into a backpack, he couldn't have noticed them for he was singing some kind of song under his breath that caused him to screw up his face and nod his head vigorously as he sung. "Er. Professor?" Harry spoke up and Professor Lumos stopped immediately and straightened up, pushing back his hair from where it was, shrouding his face, looking somewhat embarrassed, although immediately a smile shot across his face, "Ah. kids, how can I help you?" he said smiling as he quickly wiped a sweaty forehead with his pocket-handkerchief "Professor, are you going somewhere?" Mezentius asked him as he slipped around behind him, looking at the arrangement of things he had been stuffing into his backpack, "No well. you see. its kind of. well. I'm not actually allowed to say, you see?" he said as he turned and stuffed the remaining things into the backpack, "But. well. would we be guessing right if we were to think you were about to have another of your great adventures," Brydie asked, Harry could tell she was being manipulative as she looked around at the pictures on his wall, "It's not my place to say," The professor answered quickly buckling up his bag, "Now. unless you have something that needs my immediate attention I would ask you to vacate, I have a lot to do before this evening." "When you'll be going off to meet with Professor ConDoin?" Harry found himself bursting out, "Well not that its any of your business but. yes as a matter of fact," he answered them apprehensively, Mezentius must have sensed he was beginning to get annoyed as he said, "Well Harry, Brydie, I think we should go and leave old Professor Lumos to his work, "I'm not old," Professor Lumos spoke quickly as the three made their way for the classroom door and exited, "I'm not old!" he called after them, "Hey we didn't find out anything from him, he was ready to give!" Brydie protested as they got out of earshot. "We don't need to question him, we have all the information we need right here," he produced a small portfolio, "The Resume of Professor K. Lumos," "Kit!" called a loud voice, which made the three of them jump, they hurriedly hid in behind the nearest support pillar along the corridor, as they all peered back towards the History classroom. It was Professor Ngera; she had a large leather bag that hung over her right shoulder and her hair had been tide up into an intricate kind of knot on her hair, so none of it dangled. "Afraid ConDoin will chop it off or something is she?" said another voice, Harry looked and saw Hyperion standing there, but only momentarily before Brydie grabbed him and pulled him in behind the pillar, "What are you doing?" he hissed, Mezentius raised his finger to his mouth and Hyperion shut up. "Dawn!" Professor Lumos' rather surprised voice sounded. Harry poked his face around the corner just enough to see Professor Lumos go to kiss Professor Ngera on the hand, and couldn't help but grin when Professor Ngera withdrew her hand quickly before Professor Lumos had a chance to kiss it, "The Headmaster has asked that I inform you that tonight is not going to go ahead - he's been called away on Ministry duties," she spoke in her one toned light yet dreamy voice, "What? But I've spent all day." he said in a panicky voice, but must have stopped realising it was useless to argue with someone other then Professor ConDoin, "Why couldn't we just do it, he could have just told us and we could have looked for whatever it is he wants to find," "I'm only passing on a message, it is not for I to decide such things," she said to him without a hint of emotion on her face, "I suggest you talk it over with him yourself," and with that she turned and returned the way she had come, "Well at least we know what we won't be doing tonight," Brydie said in annoyance as she leaned up against the wall, "Coming back to play cricket then?" Hyperion asked, Brydie nodded looking up at Harry whom turned to face Mezentius, "You may as well go Harry, I'm just going to be reading this anyway," he flashed the resume portfolio at them before they dispersed,
* It was a week before Professor ConDoin returned to Koalingo. And that evening while they were all waiting for dinner Harry watched as Professor Lumos approached Professor ConDoin his mouth moving quickly. Professor ConDoin seemed to say something back to him through his teeth and Professor Lumos narrowed his eyes and returned to his seat at the end of the table furthest to the right as he could with a rather disgruntled look about him, "He's not telling them what they are supposed to be looking for." Harry spoke quietly as he turned to Brydie, whom was still ignoring the newly set rule about sitting at your own house table, and sat at the Emerindyl table via Harry and Hyperion, "I'm not surprised, I wouldn't tell him either," Mezentius said dropping Professor Lumos' resume on the table in front of them all, he had been reading it every spare chance he got in the last week, Harry and Brydie shot Mezentius quizzical looks, Hyperion had remained in his normal stance stuffing his face with his food, "He's a grave robber," Mezentius turned to a page where Professor Lumos was dressed in plain orange robes with a code number on the breast, "He was arrested eight years ago in Egypt for breaking into royal tomb of some ancient Egyptian pharaoh because it was rumoured that the he was buried with the ankh of everlasting-life," "But plenty of muggles have done that." Harry spoke up, he had seen things like this on many documentaries Harry had to watch for primary school so he could help Dudley with his homework, and Harry always ended up having to do it for him. "But wait it gets better, four years prior to that he was arrested for raiding the ruined monasteries of Tibet looking for the 'recipe to reincarnation' and." Mezentius pushed down a newspaper clipping from an old issue of the daily prophet, "Just four years ago he and five accomplices were arrested for breaking into the Queen of England's treasury, trying to steal this," he pointed to the bottom of the clipping at a diamond, a very large diamond, "The only diamond in the world, suitable for the Ever-After Ceremony" "What's that?" Harry asked him, not understanding, "It's a magical that can be performed on the dead to bring them back to life, and give them immortality," Mezentius told them and looked up suddenly as the remainder of the Professors had finally arrived in the hall, "But here's the best part, his accomplices in each of these crimes, Dawn Ngera, Tel Darkmoon, Angelina Stark and Galidan Gardiner," "But. then they are all out-laws, why have they been hired this year to work among kids?" Hyperion looked up from his food he was eating while waiting for dinner looking positively nonplussed, "Wait a minute, who was the fifth?" Brydie spoke up, "You said five?" "Professor Arutha ConDoin," Mezentius said as he placed the next piece of paper down, it was a mug shot of Professor ConDoin, There was a stinging silence as the four of them looked at one another with no words and looked up at the teacher's table, Professor ConDoin looked at them, "Morris. Fumbleknot. Your own tables, now," Brydie and Mezentius quickly moved away, Harry hurriedly stuffed the résumé out of site as the Hal fell silent and Professor ConDoin announced the beginning of the feast,
* When finally people started to clear away Harry turned and looked at Mezentius and then to Brydie, neither was eating anything and it looked to Harry as if Mezentius was watching Professor ConDoin, trying to break into his mind and read his thoughts, "Look at him staring at that amulet, how pathetic," Hyperion spoke to Harry and a few people swivelled in their seats to look at Mezentius, "Who? Mezentius? What amulet?" Harry asked as he looked up to Professor ConDoin and noticed a necklace hanging around his neck, at the end of it was a large circular dome amethyst embedded in a coin looking piece of gold, which in turn was connected to the chain, "What is it?" Harry asked as he looked back to Mezentius, trying to get a good idea of what Mezentius was actually staring at, but could only decide he was just looking at ConDoin, "You don't know what it is? Boy you never really bothered with Australia history, did you?" Hyperion spoke looking at him, Harry thought for a moment, so many people had told him the history of Australia was fascinating, yet he had never bothered with thinking about it, "So are you going to tell me? Or did you just want to point out how stupid I am?" Harry spoke anxiously, "Keep your hat on, ok I'll tell you," Hyperion leaned in close to Harry, "That piece of jewellery hanging around ConDoin's neck originally belonged to Amberly Ameraid, Mezentius reckons, because he is her heir that he should have the amulet, but ConDoin doesn't look ready to hand it over," "What does it do? Or is it just jewellery?" Harry asked, him now looking up at it, "How should I know, you can only pay so much attention to history you know," Hyperion laughed, his friends joined in and some just rolled their eyes at him, "Harry we're going out now, you coming?" Harry heard a whisper as Brydie put her hand on his shoulder, "We're going out the front, I'll go get Mezentius," she told him before walking off, Harry closed the resume and pushed it into his bag before standing and starting towards the doors, he stopped outside and was soon joined by Mezentius and Brydie, "Ok, the professors are going to bed, I don't expect Professor ConDoin will be hanging around all night, he was complaining all through dinner about being tired," Mezentius said as Harry glanced back into the Hall noticing Professor ConDoin yawn, something he hadn't seen him do very often, "I didn't hear him say anything." Brydie spoke but Mezentius tapped his head and their questions were answered, "Hyperion coming with us?" Harry asked, looking back into the hall, Hyperion didn't appear to be moving at all, "I don't think so, I did ask him to meet us out here, but he saw you leave, didn't he?" Mezentius asked looking anxious, Harry nodded; he didn't think Hyperion seemed at all interested in anything that involved sneaking into ConDoin's office in the middle of the night, "Probably afraid his father will mysteriously appear and escort us back to bed or something," Mezentius smiled reassuringly before the three of them gave one glance back in through the hall, seeing some of the teachers had already left and then turned up the corridor that lead to the Headmaster's office, "Er. so. what happens if we get caught?" Harry asked, hoping someone had a back up plan that would involve them loosing the least amount of points as possible for Emerindyl, "We plead insanity," Brydie spoke, and what scared Harry most about this remark, was how sincere she sounded, "He wont catch us," Mezentius twirled his wand around in front of him and a purple mist appeared before him, he stepped into it and immediately became invisible, "Invisibility charm," Harry and Brydie followed suit and immediately Harry found a flaw in this plan, "But now I cant see you," he hissed into the empty corridor, there was one good thing about this charm, he thought to himself, he could move around a lot more freely then with his cloak, "See the spot on that suit of armour where the Gold K is slightly more faded then the rest?" Harry heard Mezentius his back, Brydie answered with a yes, and Harry nodded, and then quickly added a verbal 'yes' remembering they couldn't see him, "Take your wand out and point the tip of it there," Mezentius spoke, barely audible, Harry thought this was a peculiar request but tried as best he could to comply, even though he couldn't see the end of his wand and wasn't sure if he was prodding the right spot. The effect of doing this was immediate; within a split second Harry could now see Mezentius and Brydie, their three wand tips meeting on the suit of armour, "Are we visible?" Harry asked shakily looking to see he could not only see all of them, but all of himself as well, "Nope, only the three of us can see. the three of us," Mezentius spoke as he turned and started back up the corridor, "Another brilliant aspect of this charm - we can scatter if need be, and we wont run into each other," "Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, if I wanted a charms lesson I'd have asked Darkmoon for one, now lets go," Brydie rushed them as she pushed past both of them and along the corridor some more towards the not-so-secret entrance to the Headmaster's office, Harry snuck along behind the other two in the ear-splitting silence, he had never really taken the time to realise just how eerie this place was at night, he saw a rat scuttle across the hallway in front of him and nearly jumped out of his skin. Brydie and Mezentius however hadn't noticed, They finally made it to the largest doorway in the corridor, the rimming was made of gold and the door itself was so large you could fit both Hagrid and Madame Maxime through at the same time comfortably, "How long do you figure we have until he comes from dinner?" Brydie hissed at Mezentius whom shushed her immediately; the three of them listened to the deathly silence, someone was coming towards them. Mezentius grabbed Harry and Brydie quickly and the three of them plastered themselves on the wall as Professor ConDoin appeared. Harry held his breath as if the room was filled with toxic fumes, Professor ConDoin was looking disgruntled, grabbing hold of the door handle to his office he was making too much noise himself to hear Mezentius, Harry, and Brydie anyway. He slipped through the door shutting it quite forcefully behind him, Mezentius looked at Harry with eyes as wide as possible and a face whiter then the moon/. Harry started breathing again much faster then he had been before and Brydie rolled her eyes at both of them before winking at Harry and inching towards the door herself. She had just placed her hand on the doorknob when she quickly opened it and the three of them slipped in. They scanned the room in silence, they knew this office had several levels to it and that the sleeping quarters were most likely at the very very top of all the levels, Mezentius placed one finger on his lips before sneaking up the staircase at the back of the office, a few moments past and then he returned, "He's not on the second level, chances are, he's gone straight to bed," "So, ok, we're here, where do we start looking Sherlock?" Brydie asked, but Mezentius had already started going through the desk, and Harry took this as the cue to begin searching through a filing cabinet to the left of the room, He came across a set of files with student's names on them, it wasn't long before he came across his own file, in emerald green ink the words 'Harry Potter' marked a folder much larger then many of the others. He thumbed through it slowly reading short sentences signed by Professor McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Professor S. Snape, and Professor Trelawney, and then suddenly he watched as these names slowly turned into Elwyn Emerindyl, Arutha ConDoin, along with notes from Cornelius Fudge, and even a couple from Brydie Morris and Mezentius Fumbleknot. A cool feeling began on the back of his neck; he expected something like this from teachers, but Brydie and Mezentius. Hermione and Ron would never. Harry's heart sank as he saw a bundle of papers tied with a pink ribbon, signed at the bottom by Miss Hermione Granger, he snapped it shut immediately, he didn't want to know if Ron had been writing things about him too, he didn't think he could handle such a thing right now. "Found anything, Harry?" Brydie's voice broke the silence, Harry answered with a 'No' as he pushed that drawer shut and turned to another, and there they were, the teacher's files, "I found them!" he spoke The other two walked hurriedly over to him and Mezentius investigated, "These are them, alright, come on, lets make copies and get out of here before." But whatever Mezentius was thinking the 'before' was, it had already happened, steps came from above them, and they were getting louder, walking in the direction of the door that stood at the steps on the other side of the office, "Forget making copies, just grab them, he's coming!" Brydie spoke as she rushed towards Harry whom quickly pulled out the files on all the new teachers and handed them out snapping the drawer shut quickly they ran for the door and closed it behind them, just in time to hear the door at the back of the office open with a sharp creak, "Come on, lets get out of here," Mezentius hissed at both of them and they took off down the corridor and away from ConDoin's office as fast as their legs would carry them, They spent the bulk of their free time in the library that following week, hiding in the senior's section, which was now nearly always empty with the organization for the Easter holidays approaching. It was a tradition of Koalingo Academy for the seniors to be very active in all organization for anything important, that the Academy was involved in. Harry found this to be peculiar, thinking they would probably prefer to spend any free time studying for their final exams, but hadn't once seen a senior not in the mood for helping out, not even a Ruberagon,
Brydie however had become very preoccupied over the autumn, and was seen on many occasions to be staring out the window watching the autumn browned leaves falling all over the place. There also always seemed to be a pleasant breeze in the air, many of the students resorting to flying kites during their free time, some so obviously heavy that they had to be charmed into the air, which Mezentius thought defeated the purpose of kite-flying completely.
They had, however, achieved exactly what they wanted to with the commandeering of the teachers private files. They had discovered that apart from the special qualifications of the classes they taught; each of the Professors were arrested for the same crimes Professor Lumos was arrested for, "They sound like their own little group of outlaws," Brydie spoke up as she slammed shut the folder marked 'Tel Darkmoon' "Certainly seems so," Mezentius spoke rubbing his forehead as if he had taken in too much information at once and needed a pensieve post-haste, "But we could be reading too much into it, of course," "How?" "Well think about it, why would you put that kind of stuff in your resume, they are coming clean from the start, perhaps they've changed their ways," Mezentius spoke hopefully, Harry saw Brydie narrow her eyes, and Mezentius slumped into his seat, "No, I don't believe that either," "The only people I could think of that would put that in their resume, are people that have been hired to use those type's of skills, and obviously, their skills as Professors, are just a front," Brydie decided but Harry found himself shaking his head, "There's got to be more to it," "Like what?" "Well, for instance, if they were hired for their skills as thieves, why were these files left in a filing cabinet which could be accessed as easy as it was? And, they got caught for all these crimes, its not like they are very good at what they do, anyway," Harry finished his moment and was happy to see Mezentius and Brydie obviously agreed with him, "So many questions." Mezentius sighed as he slumped further into his chair, "And what's worse is, the only people who can answer us, are the people we are most worried about discovering that we know," Harry remembered the file on him in the Headmaster's office and realised he currently felt the same way about Mezentius, "Can we please go outside, now, we have found out all these things can tell us, I want to feel the sun on my face again!" Brydie complained, Harry knew she was very much so into the outdoors and a week inside the castle at every moment could not have been very good for her, "I suppose," Mezentius spoke as he gathered up all the files, including Professor Lumos' resume and slipped them all into the sperate bag he had been using all week to take the folders everywhere with them in case they got a spare second or two here and there, "Nice," Brydie grinned and scrambled up pout of her seat leaving the library a little too hastily, Harry noticed the librarian eyeing them all the way out of the library,
When they arrived on the lush green grass outside in the gardens, Harry's first instinct was to lie flat on his back and watch the billowing clouds streak across the sky at an escalated speed due to the wind. Brydie of course had, in a brief five minutes, started up a game of some kind and was running back and forth across the grass throwing, what looked like, a smaller version of a medicine ball at the others playing the game.
` Harry watched the clouds swirl, the blue mixed in with them as soon the sky turned into water and Harry realised he was sitting on the edge of a calm lake staring into the clearest water he had ever seen. In the distance, a long way away from where he was, he could make out a lion, it was roaring, there was a small figure perched on its head, and something small and black running around near its feet, but Harry couldn't make out what they were. Squinting, he was sure he saw a flash of something long, thin and green, but it was very brief and within seconds it was gone again.
Looking back onto the bank he was resting on, there was a grindylow, larger then normal, sitting on the bank splashing its feet in the water, behind it a unicorn was grazing on the grass which was greener then Harry's eyes, and in the sky, silhouetted by the tint of a setting sun, was a large red dragon. Harry stood in alarm, a red dragon, he stumbled backwards tripping over a log, staring at the sky he saw the dragon get larger, and larger still, until at last it was level with the unicorn. It swooped and grabbed the unicorn with one foot and then the grindylow with the other, taking flight again, it didn't seem to have taken notice of Harry. Either that or it hadn't seen him. But it turned in the air and started away again at a lightning speed, fortunately, in Harry's beliefs, there came a rumbling from the water behind him and a water sprayed out of it in a beam, not unlike that of a fireman's hose, only much much more water.
The water hit the dragon square on the stomach and it plummeted from the sky, Harry smiled as the Dragon hit the ground, he watched it carefully as it flipped onto its legs and started pouring the ground nervously, its captives behind it. It roared and ear-splitting roar and a beautiful mermaid rose from the water, her sparkling purple hair fell dry at her shoulders as she hovered in the air in front of the dragon, as if she were still in the water.
The mermaid raised her right hand and the dragon stood on its hind legs and opened its wings, as if shielding the grindylow and unicorn from a summoning spell that would have drawn them into safety out of the dragons keep. The mermaid seemed taken aback by this and lowered her hand slightly, but just as quickly she raised it again, but not quick enough as the dragon shot at her with all it's might and the two went flying back into the water behind where Harry was lying. Harry got a splash of this water that drenched him and the next thing he knew he was looking skywards again with Brydie, Mezentius, and Hyperion looking over him, "See I told you it would work," Hyperion spoke with a smile on his face, Harry suddenly realised his nose was full of water and sat up quickly coughing and spluttering, "It's time for dinner, Harry," Brydie told him with a smile as she helped him up, off the now soaked grass. He was in the garden again, back at Koalingo. He glanced at his watch, getting ready to protest that it was too early for dinner when he realised it was six o'clock, he must have dozed off. "Nothing to worry about, Harry," Brydie and Hyperion were telling him as he approached the golden hall for dinner a few moments later, "Australian temperature, was probably a little hotter then you had counted on," "But, dude, you really should have laid in the shade or something, that is going to cane tomorrow," Brydie informed him, and it wasn't until Harry was staring into the golden plate in front of him after he had sat down to eat, that his reflection told him he had been severely sunburned. "See, I knew you should have been in Ruberagon Potter, you're the right colour and everything," Malvado grinned at him as he walked by with a few of his mates on their way to their table,
Harry lowered his head into his plate with embarrassment, but a moment later he had to lift it as the Professor's arrived in the Hall and everyone's attention was called,
The hall slowly drew into silence as everyone looked around curiously, it was odd for the Headmaster to want to make an announcement when nothing incredibly important was coming up. The whole school knew everything about the Easter celebrations, but even they were not close enough for anything important to be said about them. "As you all know, with the end of autumn arriving the House Quidditch competition is to begin - after a brief meeting with some of the Quidditch captain's I saw that the teams were most eager to begin, therefore I am feeling generous, and the first match of the season - Emerindyl verse Ameraid - will take place this Saturday rather then next month," Harry looked across to see Mezentius' eyes wide with fear, and then to Hyperion who was smiling contently, "But, today is Thursday, Professor," Harry watched Mezentius splutter, "I know - the day after tomorrow, how does that sound?" Professor ConDoin asked and the whole school roared with applause, all of the teachers also looked pleased, but none more then Professor Lumos, After dinner they met at the entrance courtyard just above the giant grandstand-like steps. Hyperion was yawning as they waited for everyone to clear off, "You didn't tell me the match was on," Mezentius spat at him as he approached Hyperion, furious with him - Professor ConDoin told me during dinner that you told him I agreed and was looking forward to it, you never told me anything!" "Look. Fumbleknot, the way I see it - you and your team can play. or. you can forefeet, there's no skin of my back," Hyperion sent a grin at Mezentius, and what happened next Harry didn't think any divination teacher could have predicted. Brydie launched herself at Hyperion and the two of them went tumbling down the steps holding onto each other's faces, Harry watched Brydie repeatedly hit Hyperion's head against the steps while Hyperion kept dodging her, looking as if there was nothing she could do, that would make him hit back, "Get off!" "You coward!" "Geroff!" "You rat!" "Brydie stop" "You cheap. little. rotten. son of a. worm!" "Brydie stop!" Mezentius shouted as he and Harry flew down the steps as fast as their legs would carry them, "Brydie," "You're a creep!" "Get off me you fat lump!" "Your so cheap! Say it!" "Fatty!" "Say it!" "Fat . fat. heifer!" Brydie stopped suddenly pausing, Hyperion had hold of some of her hair and she looked flabbergasted, "Did you just call me a heifer? A cow! You called me a cow!" "So." Hyperion said quietly, not knowing what affect this would have on her, "MOOOOO!" She mocked in a war cry as she dived on him and they rolled all the way down the foot of the steps. "What is going on here?" came a low yet calm voice, Harry's heart leapt into his throat, Professor Darkmoon was standing at his side, his hand resting on Harry's shoulder, Brydie was still repeatedly punching Hyperion, "Say it! Say it . you cheap. low down. scum sucking." "Fatty fat. fat. fat!" "Mr Douglas!" Professor ConDoin boomed, Harry turned to see him standing atop the stairs, "Miss Morris!" Brydie looked up a Professor ConDoin her eyes wide with fear and still she managed to hit Hyperion one last time, "Professor Darkmoon, please escort these two students to my office, and then return to the Golden Hall," Professor ConDoin spoke in a low and demanding voice, "The rest of you will go to your dormitories," Professor Darkmoon did as he was instructed and helped Hyperion out from under Brydie before leading the two of them up the steps and into the manor, "She shouldn't have done that," Mezentius spoke as he gathered up the things that had spilled from Brydie's bag when she had gone rolling down the steps, "Her heart was in the right place though, Hyperion was way out of line, he should have told you - I am feeling less and less like an Emerindyl every day," Harry shook his head as he helped, "Don't be discouraged Harry - not all the Emerindyl's are like him, you have to remember his background, its not like anyone ever gave him a reason to be nice, but there is an Emerindyl in him somewhere," Mezentius proceeded to pick up the things until at last he was carrying two bags, his own, and Brydie's. "Here I'll take that, your carrying enough as it is," Harry offered and the something dawned on him, "Where is the bag with the Professor's files in it?" Mezentius' reaction was no different; he opened his mouth wide, not believing he had forgotten it, "The files! I left them at the Ameraid table, and they're right where I was sitting - if ConDoin finds them, we were talking through most of dinner, he'll know I had them!" Harry didn't say a word; he just hopped to it at once, the two of them bounded up the stairs as fast as their legs could carry them. When they arrived back at the Golden Hall, the entrance doors were slightly ajar where they stopped dead, Professor ConDoin, Professor Gardiner, Professor Lumos, Professor Stark, and Professor Ngera were crowded around where Mezentius was seated at dinner, and in Professor ConDoin's hand was Professor Lumos' résumé. Harry heart sank as he watched them, "Well. do any of you know who was sitting here?" Professor ConDoin asked them in a demanding tone. None of them made a noise or even moved. "And look at this," he said holding up the Daily Prophet article that was left loose inside Lumos' resume, "Someone has all five of our names and Tel's as committing these crimes." "A STUDENT!" He barked at them so loud that all of them shuddered, with the exception of Professor Darkmoon whom was just entering the hall through the back door wearing an emotionless face, "Do I really need to stress to you all how secretive we must be about this," Professor ConDoin continued, "Your all convicted criminals in several countries, do you want to add Australia to that list? Oh, I cannot believe this, the entire operation might have been ruined" "Well if you would just let us have free run of the castle - we could look for it even when you don't have time to be here," Professor Lumos started, "And what about the information you already have on it? Is it written in a scroll? Is it in a book? Is it engraved on something? What area's have you covered? We could have found it by now and been long gone," Professor Lumos started up, but Professor ConDoin turned his back on the professors, "You want to get rid of the Guild of Avada, don't you Arutha?" Professor Darkmoon spoke in his deep yet powerful voice, "Then give us the information you have on finding this spell and we'll leave here," "They are all in the Guild of Avada." Harry's head was racing, these, the very people his safety had been intrusted to, they were the very people he was supposed to be finding security away from, "They want to steal something." Mezentius backed away from the hall entrance; he was chewing his tongue as he thought, "A spell?" Harry looked at him curiously, "I don't know" Mezentius shrugged,

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Quidditch Quarrels

Harry didn't see Brydie or Hyperion until the following day. He saw Hyperion the moment he took his first step from his cabin; Hyperion was sitting by the lake flicking rocks into the water. Harry whom was still sour about the previous night was not in any mood to talk to him but it was just as he was about to step into the passage that led into the manor that Hyperion called to him. "I'm not allowed to play tomorrow - it's my punishment for not telling Fumbleknot about the game on Saturday," Hyperion spoke in a way that made it sound as if he was a victim, "Why are you telling me?" Harry asked passively, "Well. because you're the only other person that can replace me, if Emerindyl is going to win," Hyperion spoke, this time with a hint of worry and alert in his voice, "It's too bad I can't play tomorrow then, isn't it," Harry spoke, his voice full of malice as he turned on his heel and proceeded to exit Emerindyl Lake,
* Harry met up with Brydie later on at the Quidditch pitch. The Ameraid team, whom hadn't planned to begin training for the new season until the Saturday, which was now the date for their first game, had been granted the day out of classes to train for the matches; a move from Professor ConDoin that took most by surprise. "You turned him down, I hope?" Brydie said to Harry after he told her about the morning's happenings, "Of course I did" Harry answered her as if this was something more obvious then saying that water was wet, "Good," Brydie nodded, "Ameraid are going to have a hard enough time trying to win without there being a capable seeker on the opposing team," "Thanks for the words of confidence, Brydie" Mezentius grimaced as he joined them, "It's not like this game is important anyway - after what Harry and I heard last night, Quidditch isn't really a priority," Brydie narrowed her eyebrows at this, Harry knew neither he nor Mezentius had told her what they had heard the previous night, and now seemed as good a time as any. So it was, while Mezentius was flying around the pitch giving pointers to his team, pointing out their faults and practicing plays, that Harry told Brydie all they had discovered the previous night, "But. why would the guild of Avada want all of these things? I thought they were restricted to Australia, this is the first time I have heard of them going international," Brydie thought out loud after Harry finished, "And teacher's I don't know what is going on here, but we need to get news to Professor Emerindyl," "We could send Hedwig - she hasn't been out to stretch her wings in a long time," Harry suggested, the last time he had seen Hedwig was at the beginning of term, he scarcely saw her these days, and he knew that a mission would be exactly what she needed. So after Harry and Brydie told Mezentius where they were going, they set off back to the manor, slipping inside the entrance hall, Brydie lead the way to the owlery. Far more cavernous then any room Harry had ventured into so far, he found Hedwig immediately, she had made herself comfortable in the exalted position of the largest bird-house in the owlery, and why not, Harry thought as he looked upon her, she looked far more individual to the thousand Kookaburra's that inhabited the other birdhouses.
Hedwig's reaction towards Harry was somewhat different to what he had expected. He would have thought she'd be happy to see him, but her reaction was the complete opposite; she turned her back on him and hooted indignantly, "Perhaps you should spend more time with her before we go sending her anywhere," Brydie smirked at Harry just as a kookaburra flew in through one of the large windows and dropped a letter in her hands before perching on her shoulder.
Harry recognised the messy writing on the envelope, it was a letter from Dudley, "How is your widdle Duddykins," he jeered with a joking grin on his face, she poked her tongue out at him and squashed the letter into her pocket immediately. "Carmon can take a letter to Emerndyl - easy for her, she's used to flying much much further of course," Brydie smiled lifting her kookaburra off of her shoulder and holding it in her hands, Brydie took a piece of scrunched up parchment from her pocket and Harry fished around in his pocket before producing a quill for her to write with. Brydie was scribbling for a moment before she held it up in front of her, and read what she wrote, "Professor Emerindyl, we miss you lots, come and visit us some time, on behalf of the students of Koalingo Academy, with regards, Brydie Morris," Brydie smiled and then tied it to the kookaburra's leg, "There," she smiled as she lifted Carmon to the window and out the magnificent kookaburra flew, "As soon as these Tebo's hear of Lord Emerindyl's visit, they will scatter," she grinned and the two of them proceeded back down stairs to lunch,
* That night Harry spent his time alone in his cabin. Mezentius and the Ameraid team were still practicing for the game tomorrow and Brydie was serving detention as a punishment for fighting with Hyperion the night before.
Hyperion, of course, had told the rest of the Emerindyl team that Harry had refused to play seeker for them the next day and most of them had resorted to begging for his help, some even tried bribing him with baskets of chocolate frogs, and crates of bottles of Butterbeer, but he was being stubborn; he didn't really want Emerindyl to win tomorrow. They finally gave up around midnight, and Harry was told that Emerindyl had a secret weapon lined up to take the position of keeper, the position the previous team captain, Mike, played. Mathew Ogden, a boy Harry had seen on a broom a few times, and around the manor even fewer times, would play seeker, possibly a desperate attempt for the Emerindyl team. Harry saw this boy chasing the snitch once before, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't entirely good either.
Harry, however had decided to look through some of the junk he had accumulate in his stay of nearly nine months. It was amazing all the things that lay around his room, some of it he knew he never even touched before, but at this point in time he was drawn to a bag. A bag filled with books, he couldn't remember what he was doing with them, nor why he hadn't gotten a nasty letter from the librarian for having them so long, and then it all came back to him like a blow to the head from a remembrall cross sledge-hammer. These were the books he and Terry had 'borrowed' from one of the restricted corridors in the library, they all had things in them about Mezentius Fumbleknot.
Harry flicked through a few, mainly all he could find with mention to Mezentius was the snippets that said he was the first wizard in the family after Amberly herself, saying that Amberly had been some kind of great great great aunt, and had never had any children of her own. And then a few clips of people saying that they had met with Mezentius and thought he was a very fine, upstanding young youth, and remarks from Elwyn himself saying how much Mezentius and Amberly were alike, and how he was quoted as saying that he didn't think he was being premature in expecting things from Mezentius that would be no less grand then things from his great aunt, Amberly Ameraid. "So the guy is like a shadow of his aunt," Harry murmured to himself, turning to look up at Hedwig, whom he had set up a bird perch in his lounge room. She of course ruffled her feathers as if to say she wasn't listening to him, he narrowed his eyes with a slight smirk, "I wonder if he's more loyal to his dead aunt then you are to your living friend,"
* The following day they all woke early and made their way down to the Quidditch pitch. Excitement as usual when water Quidditch game approached, but more so seeing it was the first match of the new season. Harry was particularly interested to see whom Hyperion had replaced Mike with - Emerindyl's so called 'secret weapon' "Godric? But he's a first year?" Harry commented, thinking that rules regarding Quidditch would be the same here as at Hogwarts, "So?" Brydie shot him a look before craning her neck to see the new Ameraid keeper, "Ameraid are running a first year too," Brydie pointed out as a small blonde girl followed the Ameraid team onto the pitch, "No water- Quidditch match then, this'll be on broomsticks" Harry noticed the Ameraid team looked like they hadn't slept a second, during the night, Mezentius must have had them training from the moment he realised the match was on until moments before the game, "And Fumbleknot is leading this years line up for Ameraid, a rather dodgy looking group those Ameraid's," the commentator joked and most everyone in the crowd laughed, none louder then the Saphricorn's, "And Head boy Jonathon Kelly steps out onto the pitch - refereeing today in place of Professor Stark, who couldn't be with us, unfortunately," the commentator spoke as everyone looked eager, a few of them shouting for Jonathon to hurry up, "And the bludgers are released, there goes the snitch, and with the quaffle becoming airborne the game has begun!" Jonathon Kelly flew up between the chasers letting go of the quaffle in his wake, immediately six chasers shot at the quaffle, "And Emerindyl are in possession as. is that a girl. I didn't know Emerindyl had any female chasers. well whoever it is she's an excellent flyer, watch how she's weaving between the Ameraid's, a little slow today don't you think fella's" voiced the commentator as the Emerindyl chaser shot through them all with ease and approached the Ameraid goal posts, "And here comes the shot NO! Its stopped by the Ameraid Keeper and what a brilliant save that was!" Harry watched anxiously as Ameraid now came in possession of the quaffle, flying back towards the Emerindyl goal post the chaser made it only half way before she was hit by both bludgers and dropped the quaffle, which was collected by Emerindyl chaser Andrew Thompson. "And again! A save by the Ameraid keeper, she appears to be the only Ameraid with any energy in her today," spoke the commentator as the Ameraid keeper tossed the quaffle to Mezentius, "Oh here we go, zooming in, out, through, past a bludger, here comes the shot, IT'S NO GOOD! Brilliant save by muggle-born first year, Godric Grindylow," "Muggle-born? Godric's not muggle-born," Harry looked at Brydie whom shrugged and returned her attention to the game at hand. "Ok come on now, Emerindyl back in possession, through those chasers, around Fumbleknot, come on Fumbleknot, no Blatching now!" shouted the commentator, and Mezentius stopped in mid-air and began shouting at the commentator that he was doing no such thing, "And around those bludgers OUCH! That'll teach you for Haversacking, I bet that arm will be very sore tomorrow, good one. er. Aurora Celeste her name is, lets hear it for Aurora, the great little Ameraid Keeper" The stands were filled with much laughing and clapping, even from the Emerindyl side of the grand stands, as the Emerindyl chaser flew away nursing his arm. Aurora had belted it with her hand when blocking the quaffle. The game carried on much like this for the best part of the next two hours, no one was scoring and as each of the keepers continued to block goals from the other team, the fiercer each seemed to get as they proceeded.
Harry was beginning to get very annoyed when suddenly the attention of all was taken by Mathew Ogden and the Ameraid seeker as both suddenly steered up and were hurtling higher and higher into the sky at a speed so fast, Harry wouldn't have been surprised if the air they were heading into was quite thin. And then suddenly the two seekers just stopped, they both looked incredibly confused, "They lost it! I can't believe it!" the commentator cried and everyone whom was sitting on the edges of their seats slumped back into their bored positions, as both seekers flew back down, towards them,
Both of the seekers were looking very annoyed, and then Mathew Ogden's face contorted and shuddered, and the he started shaking madly, and laughing as he started slapping his arms on his right leg which now had something buzzing around under the material of his pants. And there it was, a flicker of a smile, and then a huge grin appeared across the Emerindyl seeker's face as he lifted his leg and held his hand out, out flew the snitch and he grabbed it at once, The stands roared with clapping and cheering, the other seeker looked devastated, "You can't do that!" the Ameraid seeker squealed, "You have to catch it with your hands, not down your pants!" Mezentius though, had stopped where he was as the quaffle ceased movement, he looked disappointed, but Harry was pleased to see a smile cross Mezentius' face as he began clapping with the rest of the school (except of course Ruberagon).
* It was hard to focus on pulling Mezentius aside at the victory party that had erupted right there and then on the Quidditch pitch. Everyone had just poured onto the pitch and somewhere music had started, and very peculiarly, food and drinks were soon being handed out, it looked as if Brydie had felt the same way as Harry, although being a Saphricorn she was not able to contain herself as she found the nearest bowl of potato chips and began making jokes, laughing and singing with everyone else. "Harry!" Brydie called to him as she gestured for him to join them, and he couldn't help it, soon he was laughing, eating junk food, drinking Butterbeer along with everyone else. "Ah poor dude," Brydie spoke as Mezentius joined them, she wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. In Harry's opinion he did look very disappointed, and so decided that talking about the teacher's was probably the last thing Mezentius really wanted to talk about right now, even if he had said before the game that the possibility of the Professor's being dark wizards was more of a priority then the Quidditch match. "Too bad, I was hoping there would be some competition in that game, but you were hopeless," Hyperion's voice rang in Harry's ears as the Emerindyl team joined them, "You guys were hopeless, what happened?" Hyperion grabbed a handful of chips from the bowl Brydie had clutched in her hands; she quickly put the bowl down and retrieved another, "Well, we didn't get much sleep last night," Mezentius admitted, "But you practiced all day yesterday - you mean you didn't sleep? You should have slept" Hyperion spoke in front of the small crowd of people around them; Mezentius narrowed his eyes angrily and said nothing, Harry could tell Mezentius was speaking telepathically with Hyperion as Hyperion's face contorted into disgust and then he rolled his eyes saying, "Whatever" and walking away with the Quidditch team whom started whispering and laughing excitedly, Godric stayed behind, "What a game, hey Harry?" Godric smiled as he looked out onto the pitch, his face was beaming with satisfaction, "Yeah, it was good," Harry admitted, "You're very good guarding the goal posts, Grindylow" Brydie hit him on the back, dislodging him a few inches in the ground, "I didn't think that Ameraid keeper could keep up," "Credit where it's due, she wasn't bad," Godric smiled, "Not bad, hey?" came a voice and they turned to see the Ameraid seeker standing behind Godric, "A little full of yourself, don't you think?" Brydie rolled her eyes and grabbed Harry by the sleeve and along with Mezentius, the three of them wandered away, off to the side, out of the crowd, "Something just occurred to me," she told them when at last they stopped by the door to the Ameraid locker room, "Where are our friendly teachers, hmmm?" Harry looked around and immediately he saw it too, there were few teachers present, and they were standing by the only exit to the pitch, and none of the six suspects were present, "Where are they?" Harry asked scanning across all of the stands, "One guess, and I bet you get it," Brydie looked from Harry to Mezentius, whom said simply enough; "The spell," "Stupid teachers," came the voice of one very annoyed Malvado Nino, Harry, Brydie, and Mezentius fell silent as they listened to Malvado's whinging, "I am tired and I am bored, and frankly I don't see the point in making us Ruberagon's sit around here and watch those Emerindyl's gloat about their win," Harry heard Malvado say before seeing him slump pouting into a chair not far from them, "Surely Professor ConDoin could." one of Malvado's friends started, "Professor ConDoin wont do anything - did you see him this morning? Dressed in purple robes, what's the deal with that?" Malvado cut in, 'Purple robes?' Brydie mouthed to Mezentius and Harry whom both returned shrugs of confusion "Well, come to think of it, he has been acting very weirdly lately," another Ruberagon spoke, "The other morning I was sitting in the entrance courtyard and I saw him whispering to that stone fish that guards the entrance to the Ameraid common," "Do you think he has gone senile?" another spoke, Harry listened intently for more, but what he heard next made him, Mezentius, and Brydie jump; "Can we help you three?" Malvado spoke and Harry turned with the other two, just to look at Malvado's unimpressed eyes, staring at them, "I'm sorry - were you talking to us?" Mezentius spoke very fast, trying to sound as if he had only just realised Malvado was there, and in Harry's opinion, he sounded very convincing. Of course Malvado didn't buy it, "I know you have nothing to do that could be better then listening to we, Ruberagon's talking, but I think you had better be running along, unless of course you want your ears to burn. literally," Harry narrowed his eyes, he disliked this boys attitude even more then he hated Malfoy's but Mezentius had quickly spoken to stop any possible confrontation; "You know what Malvado - I think for once you might be right - we really don't have anything better to do then listen to you charming Ruberagon's. but. you know. I think I have rather grown bored of you - no offence mate," Malvado glared, but Brydie grinned and Mezentius led them away from Malvado and his friends, whom resumed there speaking, looking sinister the entire time. "How do we get back to the manor then?" Brydie asked flicking a chip off of a stool near them and slumping upon it, "We need to be there while they are searching, we may get a hint of what they are looking for," Harry spoke getting annoyed at the constant vigilance of the professor's guarding the exit, "I still don't understand though - a spell, fine - but what spell?" Mezentius slumped down on another stool leaving Harry to be the only one standing, "What were the other things this group was famous for trying to steal?" Harry asked as he began to pace in front of them, "There was the ankh of everlasting life," Brydie spoke, holding up three fingers and pointing at one of them with the index finger of her other hand, as if marking it off on a list, "And the Tibetan recipe to reincarnation," Mezentius spoke as if this was nothing to be amazed about, which was very odd for him, "And the queen's diamond. what was it you said was so significant about the diamond?" Harry looked at Mezentius, his eyes narrowed in thought, Mezentius sighed and narrowed his eyes, looking to be under a lot of pressure by thinking, "It's. something about the ever. ever." Mezentius spoke, his eyes know pinned on Malvado, Harry as sure he was mind-reading, "Ever-after ceremony - you said it's the only diamond suitable for such a feat," Harry spoke, remembering, and then it hit him, "There isn't a spell that gives one immortal life. is there?" "No." Mezentius spoke suddenly tearing his eyes away from Malvado and looking straight at Harry, "But there is a spell that will resurrect someone and return to them the life source of youth," "Sign me up for it!" Brydie spoke as she stared up at the tops of the towers, which she could see over the walls of the pitch, "No, its not that simple," Mezentius spoke as his eyes too floated towards the towers that could be seen above the walls of the high pitch stands, "What?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing as he suddenly became suspicious of Mezentius' far away glance, "Well, not only is this spell very difficult to perform, but only one woman in the world ever knew about it, and to this day it's location is known to no living person," Mezentius spoke, his eyes still glued to the castle, "Is it possible that they are looking for this spell?" Harry asked, his eyes drifting to the towers to see if there was any reason Brydie and Mezentius were staring at it, "Of course," Mezentius answered looking Harry square in the eyes, "I thought for many years that the spell was recorded in her diaries - and I know Professor ConDoin has read them back to front and inside out, I had merely thought that he and Lord Emerindyl had sought to keep it secret - never in my wildest dreams did I think that the spell still lay undiscovered," "Whose diaries?" Harry asked not quite catching on, "Amberly Ameraid - look, Harry, I don't know how much of our history you have actually read," Mezentius started, "But Amberly Ameraid was very secretive, and extraordinarily smart - there were rumours that she created some of the greatest defence curses all here at Koalingo while she studied privately," Harry nodded; he did read all of this the previous night when he looked through some of the books he had left laying lifeless in his cabin for so long, "Well it was also rumoured that Amberly created the most powerful spell of all, her greatest and most secret achievement," Mezentius was glowing with pride as he spoke, Harry could tell Mezentius was gloating, but he didn't mind, "The anti-death-curse - never in my wildest dreams did I think that it could be here, at Koalingo manor," The three looked towards the exits as the teacher's began to shuffle away and students started pouring out heading back towards the castle. Harry could see a very disgruntled looking Professor Lumos standing by the other professor's, "You know what Mezentius - I think the spell is here at Koalingo, and what's more is, I think that these tebo's are trying to steal it," Brydie spoke as she stared towards Professor Lumos. Harry silently agreed with her,

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Differences

Harry would never have believed it had he not seen it himself at the next Defence against dark arts lesson. Professor ConDoin greeted them with a smile on his face as he raised his purple-robed arms to shake each and every students hand when they entered, pausing at each Ameraid to kiss them on the hand; one Ameraid started crying when this happened and ran away in tears.
Mezentius, it seemed had just found it all very disturbing, from the moment they entered the classroom, Harry couldn't help but nudge Mezentius constantly, reminding him that the look he was giving Professor ConDoin wasn't a very nice one. Harry thought this must be due to the amethyst amulet, which now seemed to become the centre of attention to the way Professor ConDoin was dressed. It no longer hung from his neck but was embedded in a strange sort of metal-gold vine that seemed to consume the surface of the material of his cloak.
The Ruberagons didn't seem to think this was dignified behaviour and many of them began to muck up even in Professor ConDoin's classes, he of course never reprimanded them, but it was peculiar how little things started to happen to those who did misbehave; like the time Malvado's nose grew to the size and shape of a large pear after he refused to partner with an Ameraid during a lesson one afternoon. The Emerindyl's of course, did not get any better treatment then they were used to and each class they would duck whenever they could to avoid getting in trouble and loosing points for their house.
And this is what led to Harry hiding underneath his desk during the Thursday fourth period class of Defence Against Dark Arts. Professor ConDoin was in a particularly bad mood and the Ruberagons had been constantly running amok but he sill did nothing to settle them, he merely turned on the Emerindyl's, blaming them for causing the Ruberagon students to be so unsettled. The Ruberagons, whom just seemed to get annoyed, as if the Emerindyl's had taken their glory for misbehaving, had started throwing cloves of garlic around the room (they were supposed to be charming them to ward off vampires). "This class bites," Hyperion spoke to Harry from where he was also sitting under his desk, he and Harry were still not on speaking terms, but Brydie seemed to forgive and forget much easier then he. "This class vill bite more iv vee don't charm our garlic," Brydie spoke in a mock vampire voice as she got two baby carrots from the vegetable bag the garlic came in, and attached them to her top teeth, "Is it just me, or has Professor ConDoin not got as much control over his class as he used to?" Harry mocked, as he dodged some spitballs the Ruberagons were now making with the pages of their textbooks, Mezentius was just about the only student not under his table, he was sitting quietly at his desk watching Professor ConDoin try his hardest to put a stop to the anarchy. Mezentius hadn't been hit by anything, and didn't look to be worried in the slightest.
When the class finally ended after the set seventy-five minute period, Harry, Brydie and Hyperion almost exploded with anger when Professor ConDoin took twenty points from Emerindyl and Saphricorn 'for not completing their work and for the classroom being in such a state of mess,' Harry would have complained when he was ordered to clean the room with the rest of the Emerindyl's and Saphricorn's, except he didn't want to lose more points for his house,

"If I ever have Defence Against Dark Arts again it will be too soon," Brydie grumbled as she was cleaning her hands before dinner that evening. Harry and Mezentius, whom were waiting just outside listening to her complaining, rolled their eyes and had a laugh when Mezentius pointed out they had Defence Against Dark Arts first period, the next day before Transfiguration, "Why do you think he's doing it anyway?" Brydie asked them as she walked out of the girl's bathroom letting the door swing shut in front of a Ruberagon, "I mean, wearing purple robes when he's a Ruberagon." "I don't know, maybe he's just mocking us," Mezentius spoke as they walked on into the Golden Hall, All of the Professor's were at the table eating their meal quietly, this was a good thing; Harry knew if even one of the Professors were missing; Mezentius and Brydie would have jumped to all sorts of conclusions as to why.
Another thing that had happened that seemed really strange was Professor ConDoin's lax treatment towards people sitting wherever they wanted at dinner, he didn't seem to care where anyone sat, with the exception of the Ameraid's, whom weren't allowed at another table, and no one was allowed at there's, he actually yelled at a Ruberagon first year named whom Harry discovered her name to be Sharess Diama; for attempting to sit next to Aurora, the Ameraid keeper, who was also in the first year at the Ameraid table. "What are we going to do tomorrow?" Brydie asked Harry as she sat next to him at dinner, they were eating spaghetti bolognaise and Brydie had already platted a few strands of spaghetti into her hair, she seemed to be getting more and more restless each day, "Classes." Harry spoke as if it was a silly question, "But we can't go to class, not tomorrow, it's the last day of summer!" Brydie told him as if to emphasise the importance of them skipping class for something way more important, "But we also have our finals this semester, and I know Professors ConDoin is just waiting for one of us to be missing and then he'll teach something really important for the test just so we fail," Hyperion spoke across the table to them, it seemed odd for him to care about exams, Harry threw Brydie a quizzical look but she just shrugged, "Oh, come on Harry, what about you, up for one last day of summer fun?" she grinned from ear to ear, her eyes sparkling, "I s'pose," Harry answered her, not sure about it, but not wanting to crush her happiness, "You will not," Mezentius' voice rang, they turned to see him walking past them with a cane woven bowl of garlic bread, "We have History of Magic tomorrow after Transfiguration, we need to try and get some things out of Lumos," "We still have the morning," Brydie smiled, Harry had to say something, "Yes, but. well Professor ConDoin hates us enough already without us skipping his class and getting in even more trouble for it," Harry grimaced, "Well Transfiguration then," Harry got the feeling Brydie was not giving up, "We'll see," Mezentius spoke quietly before scooting off back to his table, Harry looked up to see Professor ConDoin was following Mezentius with his eyes,
* It was the last day of summer, and for some reason this seemed to mark the very last warm day of the year, well that was the feeling Harry was getting from everyone, "Last day of summer and we're inside, that's just wrong," Brydie complained as she stared longingly out of the windows they passed on their way to breakfast. When they arrived, the first thing they noted was that none of the Professors, they were keeping an eye on, were there, Immediately Mezentius, Harry and Brydie said, "They went looking again last night," During Breakfast they were instructed by Professor Madbury told them that Professor ConDoin would not be available for the first period and that they were to spend the period studying in the library. Brydie started up immediately about how she studied better outside and how she didn't think it was the right thing to do on the last day of summer, "I mean, well you're an outdoors type, Professor, you understand, it's the last day of summer, we really should cherish this day out in the gardens," Professor Madbury chuckled, "Sorry dear, I'm having the second years do a bit of degnoming - the gardens will be off-limits all morning," Brydie was not happy. During their free period Mezentius silently read while Harry and Brydie silently stared out the window watching the first years, jump this way and that, chasing the garden gnomes. Harry watched as Professor Madbury, sportingly performed leg-locking curses on some gnomes to make them easier to catch. It was Mezentius, who made the first noise after a long silence, "Lets go for a walk," he stood and piled his books back into his bag, before checking out another five, they all left the silent library and were caught immediately by the sounds of chattering students in the classroom corridors. Passing the Charms classroom, Brydie poked her head in to see that the students were running amok, chasing one another around the classroom and throwing paper aeroplanes around the room, Professor Darkmoon was no where to be seen. "Where are we going anyway?" Harry asked as Mezentius led the way, he seemed to know where they were going, but more then twice they passed the same classroom, "Just as I thought." Mezentius paused, "Professor Darkmoon, Ngera, Lumos, are all supposed to be teaching right now, and they aren't, and I'd bet if we went down to the flying class training area, or the greenhouse we wouldn't find Professor Stark or Professor Gardiner either," "So, they had a long night, they are probably sleeping," Brydie shrugged, Mezentius shook his head, "According to the AWDF Handbook - an officer is trained to go for a week without sleep - Professor ConDoin wouldn't have missed class to catch up on sleep," "So." Harry didn't understand where Mezentius was going with this, "So they haven't finished looking," Mezentius concluded, "I bet they got a lead last night and are still at it," "How can you be sure?" Brydie backed off a bit, "Lets check it out," Mezentius smiled as Harry and Brydie realised where they had finally stopped at. Professor ConDoin's office was exactly the way it had been the night they had 'borrowed' the Professor's files, and unlike the times when Professor Emerindyl had it, the office was now dark and dank and not at all inviting, "He hasn't lighten his fire I the last 24 hours," Mezentius spoke as they walked through, "He hasn't opened his windows once this year," Brydie pulled the curtains open and opened the windows, a cool breeze flowed through the room immediately and the room appeared in full light, looking much the way Professor Emerindyl had left it, only much less happy. The curtains were now made of a heavy black material that Brydie complained was hard to open, and the desk chair behind the desk, which was once gold with encrusted emeralds, was now black with no stone at all.
The three walked to the staircase that led to the next level, none of them had ever been to the next level, but they knew it was where Professor Emerindyl used to do a lot of his studying, and when they arrived in the room, they realised why. Again Brydie had to open the windows and curtains, and again the light revealed a splendid room, the walls were nothing but bookshelves which seemed to travel into the sky, they knew this part of the Headmaster's office must have been in its own separate tower as it had a glass roof that was so clean it looked as if the tower went straight into the heavens. Arriving at the next level, which was up a longer set of stairs they stumbled across a peculiar room which had pictures everywhere, some of beautiful streams on sunny days with lush green grass and bee's buzzing around the flowers collecting pollen, some the Australian Ministry, Harry recognised them. Some of Headmaster Emerindyl's home from different angles, and some of different castles, nice looking ones on mountains, broken down ones with scaffolding attached to the side of them, ghastly looking ones with dead trees around them and lightning in the sky, underwater castles with merpeople swimming around them and flying ones, on clouds; Harry smiled to see one of Hogwarts, he was happy to see the castle was covered in snow, as it was in fact only the end of winter there. No matter which way you looked in this room there were brilliantly coloured landscape paintings, and they were each so magnificently painted, that the things in them looked real.
Mezentius of course, appeared to be looking for something, it was then that Harry realised there was no door in this room, only the one they had just came though. "Did we come up the wrong staircase?" Brydie appeared to have noticed this too, "No, no, we are in the right place," Mezentius said as he continued to scan the paintings until at last he said, "Ah ha!" Harry and Brydie approached him and saw he was pointing at a painting with a very large bed with red linen and dragons carved in the posts that held the canopy up, "The beds empty," Mezentius smiled, "I was right, the Professors are still out," Harry narrowed his eyes, clearly he had missed something, but he did feel slightly better when he saw Brydie was pulling the same face, "Honestly." Mezentius shook his head; "In 'A History of Koalingo' they say that at the top of the Headmaster's tower a room of portals gives the Headmaster the crossroads to the magical world," Harry and Brydie held their confused looks, "These aren't just paintings," Mezentius poked one and it rippled like a puddle of water, "They are like. port keys, kind of. I'll show you," He stepped back and raised his wand, "When I disappear, you do the same, just tap the painting with the tip of your wand," Mezentius did this and in a moment and with a small fizzing sound, he was pulled into the painting. When Harry and Brydie got over the shock, they looked to see Mezentius waving at them and smiling. Brydie followed next and after the fizzing subsided, Harry looked to see she was jumping on the bed in the painting. Harry followed suite and felt the most wonderful sensation, like a million feathers tickling his body and then he fell to his feet which weren't ready to support him and he fell over, "Interesting way to travel, isn't it," Mezentius smiled as he walked to the door and opened it carefully, Harry looked back from where he fell, and there it was a small painting of the room they had just come from, "This is Professor ConDoin's sleeping quarters," Mezentius smiled still with the door opened slightly, "I can see some Ruberagons, but I don't remember ever seeing this part of the school before - the walls are black stone, and there's red carpet all over the floor, "Ok, point taken, are we going back now?" Harry didn't feel very comfortable being here, "Wait a minute, I think we might be. yes. this is the Ruberagon common, I'm sure of it," Mezentius looked fascinated, "We don't want to get caught here, do we?" Brydie spoke, she seemed more unnerved then Harry, "Who says we're going to be," Mezentius grinned as he tapped his purple cloak and it turned red, "Come on, it'll be interesting," Harry inched closer to the door and Mezentius proceeded to recolour Harry's green Emerindyl cloak, to red, "Lets hope no one looks at your crest," Mezentius told them as he did Brydie's as well, pointing but that he could change the colour, but not the house crests, which stood out against the red. Harry and Brydie both crossed their arms to cover their crests and walked on behind Mezentius, whom seemed confident, and instructed them to look at the nearest painting every time a Ruberagon passed them, they didn't get too much attention, this way, and were feeling so confident, that they stopped looking away and just briskly walked passed themselves,
The Ruberagon common, wasn't all that welcoming, most of the corridors were dark, and a few were so dark that the only things you could see down them, were the pin pricks of the candles burning in their holders upon the walls. There was one large room that resembled some sort of hunting tavern. There were animal heads mounted on the walls around thirteen large fireplaces that had dragon hide chairs, big enough for Hagrid to sit on, in front of them. This was most definitely the common room where they'd meet up or whatever it was that Ruberagon's did. But what they found to be most fascinating was what they found outside.
It turned out that the Ruberagon common room was some grand black fortress flying so high up it looked like there was n ground beneath it, like some kind of different dimension the surrounding space was fiery and red, with one portion of brick wall off about a hundred metres away from the floating fortress with a door that probably led back to the school. Here there were red dragons tethered to posts, thee were more tethered on posts at a dock on the fortress, Harry came to the conclusion that these must be for travel between the fortress and the exit to the castle.
To the right of the entrance was the most disturbing room of all; it looked like a depressing cave that had three wells in the middle of it, which glowed a disturbing shade of green. The Ruberagon's around it were talking ferociously about dropping Emerindyl's into these wells, and Harry suddenly felt a lot more unwelcome, and nervous. "Can we leave now, this place is giving me the creeps," Brydie said to Mezentius who checked his watch and said, "We have to get back to class anyway - back to ConDoin's room," They walked back at a faster pace then when they had entered, they glimpsed a large charred metal double-passage that had a sign on its door reading 'Battle Stadium'. Mezentius had to be pulled away from this doorway and they proceeded back to ConDoin's bedroom, which had a sign on it reading 'Headmaster'
Back in the room they walked straight to the painting, but were greeted by the last thing they wanted to see right now. Professor ConDoin had entered the room with all the paintings, "Quick, under the bed, or he'll see us," Mezentius ducked, pulling Harry and Brydie down with him, they all rolled under the bed, just in time to see two black shiny boots hit the carpet at the end of the bed.
They watched as the feet made their way around the bed and slipped out of their boots. Harry had to cup his hands over Brydie's mouth when Professor ConDoin must have sat down on his bed, for the mattress came down a little and hit the top of Brydie's head.
They laid there in silence for what seemed like an eternity while Professor ConDoin slept. Harry gestured for them to leave while ConDoin was snoring, but Mezentius kept shaking his head and not moving, so Harry and Brydie followed suit. Harry watched the carpet for so long that soon it began to move, he watched it swirl, the carpet turned from red, to purple, and then to blue and turned into water and Harry realised he was sitting on the edge of the calm lake again, staring again, into the clearest water he had ever seen. He thought hard, this seemed familiar, and then he remembered as he looked into the distance, he was dreaming again. A long way away from where he was, he could make out a lion, it was roaring, just as it was in his last dream, there was a small figure perched on its head, and something small and black running around near its feet, but Harry couldn't make out what they were but he had a pretty fair idea. Squinting, he was sure he saw a flash of something long, thin and green, but it was very brief and within seconds it was gone again.
Looking back onto the bank he was resting on, his eyes fell on the grindylow, larger then normal, sitting on the bank splashing its feet in the water, behind it a unicorn was grazing on the grass which was greener then Harry's eyes, and in the sky, silhouetted by the tint of a setting sun, was a large red dragon. Harry stood in alarm, a red dragon, he was careful not to stumble backwards and trip again; staring at the sky he saw the dragon get larger. Harry ran for the Grindylow and grabbed its long brittle hands, it ran along behind him and they both jumped onto the Unicorn's back and started away from the lake as the dragon got larger and larger still, until at last it was level with the unicorn. It swooped and grabbed the unicorn with one foot and then the grindylow with the other, taking flight again, it didn't seem to have taken notice of Harry, whom was still holding onto the unicorn's mane. But it turned in the air and started away again at a lightning speed. Harry smiled, he knew what was going to happen next, and the rumbling in the water was enough to make him smile as the mermaid shot a beam of iced-fire at the dragon. Harry held on as he and the unicorn plummeted to the earth still in the Dragons clutches. The dragon landed on its back and Harry, the Unicorn and Grindylow were thrown off onto the grass behind it, both the Unicorn and the Grindylow wounded. The dragon flipped onto its legs and started pouring the ground nervously, Harry, the Unicorn, and the grindylow behind it. It roared and ear- splitting roar and a beautiful mermaid rose from the water, her sparkling purple hair fell dry at her shoulders as she hovered in the air in front of the dragon, as if she were still in the water.
The mermaid raised her right hand and the dragon stood on its hind legs and opened its wings, as if shielding the grindylow and unicorn from a summoning spell that would have drawn them into safety out of the dragons keep. Harry looked around anxiously; surely there was something he could do. He pulled out his wand, and then remembered that dragon hides were far to strong for any spell he knew, and its eyes were facing the wrong way for a conjunctivitis curse. The mermaid seemed to see Harry, and it smiled, raising both of its hands it dived up into the air and down into the water. The dragon suddenly turned and faced Harry. Harry was in the middle of levitating the unicorn and grindylow towards the lake where the mermaid could save them, and this seemed to set the dragon's rage off as it clasped onto the two creatures roaring fire at Harry, whom ducked for cover. Harry looked up in time to see the dragon disappear into the sky and another face appear, a dreadful face, this made Harry think he was having another nightmare, but this was worse, it was real, Professor ConDoin had caught them.
* Back in the Headmaster's office a moment later, Harry didn't know what to think, it was silent. Professor ConDoin hadn't said a thing to him yet, he just sat behind his desk looking at Mezentius, Brydie and Harry in absolute silence. He didn't say a word, and his breathing was impossible to hear. Harry was just about to guess that Mezentius and Professor ConDoin were arguing telepathically when Professor ConDoin finally made a noise, "I guess it was you three who broke into my office that night and stole those files," "We didn't break in, the door was unlocked - and we only borrowed the files, we had every intention of returning them" Brydie spoke defiantly, but Professor ConDoin gave no reaction to this, "And what possible motive have you for stealing the Professor's files?" Professor ConDoin asked icily, Mezentius, Brydie and Harry stayed silent, the last thing any of them wanted to do was say they knew that the Professor's were in the Guild of Avada. "Well for whatever motive - I'd like them back," he told them and must have noticed the confused expressions that crossed their faces, "Do not play ignorant with me, Miss Morris just admitted to taking them," "Yes, before, we don't have them now, you got them back," Harry spoke up and then realising he didn't want to admit seeing the teachers argue over the files in the golden hall that night he quickly added, "Well we left them in the golden hall, we assumed you got them back," "Of course I got them back the first time, but then you." Professor ConDoin tore his eyes off them for a moment and then started on them again, "All you have done, so far, is enough for me to expel the three of you," he barked, Mezentius looked away from Professor ConDoin, Harry could see Mezentius looked more ashamed then he had ever seen anyone look before. "However. seeing Harry would be sent back to Britain, the red tape would be lengthy and would consume a lot of the time I simply do not have right now," he spoke and Mezentius and Brydie looked up, "And Mezentius cannot very well be expelled, your grades are beyond all else in your year," he got quieter as he spoke about Mezentius. Harry wondered what was going on, this was simply to good to be true, "And you, Miss Morris, are simply not worth my time," he spoke with a scowl at Brydie who looked ready to yell but seemed to be fighting hard to stop herself, "You will each serve a detention at a date I will fix in the future some time, and you'll each lose ten points, now get out of my office," he spoke much faster towards the end, as if he were saying it but didn't really mean it.
Brydie was the first on her feet and led the way as the three of them exited the office at a fast pace.
* "We were learning how to make animals from pieces of furniture," Hyperion told them later on in the gardens, it was nearing sunset and they had missed all of the classes that day, "One of the Saphricorn's managed a dog from a small coffee table - but you just had to admire the Ameraid's," "They were turning out horses and cows, as well as one elephant from large dining tables," Gordon Gargoyle, a first year that had been put in their class for the period because he was misbehaving in his own class and got sent out, was telling them, "One kid had even successfully transfigured a muggle refrigerator into a walrus, but then he got sat on," Gordon laughed, "It sounds as if we have a bit to Practice," Mezentius said as he flopped back on the grass, "Did you take any notes, Hyperion?" Hyperion laughed derisively, "It was a practical, not a theory, as if," Mezentius rolled his eyes to Harry and Harry couldn't help but smile. Brydie of course, was in no mood for smiling, in fact she was the complete opposite, tears were streaming down her face as she waved good-bye to the sun, "Bye sunburn that I got when I fell asleep on the beach, bye beach that put sand in my underwear, good-bye Christmas beetles that I set free on my cousin because she is an aggravating little nit, good-bye ice that I slipped down my uncles back and made him fall into the Christmas pudding, good bye that day they I got my tongue frozen to the freezer because I wanted to cool down, bye." Harry couldn't help but laugh.